Comprehensive Survey of the Current State, Infrastructure, and Usage of Freshwater Resources on Low Islands of Pohnpei State

Funded by: US Geological Survey, Water Institute Program

Principal Investigators: Danko Taborosi and John W. Jenson

Funding: $17,845

Freshwater resources on coral atolls and other of eight separate research trips (one per island), low islands in the Federated States of Micronesia each of which will include hydrogeologic (FSM) are under threat of overuse due to component comprising of field observations and changing lifestyles and increasing population mapping, engineering component comprising of pressures, damage by pollution and unsustainable infrastructure examinations and measurements, development, and obliteration by global climate and “people-oriented” component comprising of change. The extent of specific problems are standardized surveys and freeform interviews of different on various islands, but cannot be local residents. The immediate objectives of the evaluated at present due to the lack of basic field project are to: data. Despite the rapid socioeconomic and  Compile a comprehensive reference source environmental changes being experienced by the of low islands of Pohnpei State (e.g., low islands in the FSM, there has been no descriptions of each island's natural and comprehensive study to examine the current human environment, highlights of significant condition, infrastructure and utilization of their natural, man-made, and cultural features). freshwater resources. The lack of such  Examine and describe the state of freshwater information represents a huge obstacle to resources and their usage patterns on each government planners, resource managers, island, as well as other relevant lifestyle engineers, educators, environmental scientists, practices (e.g., waste disposal, burial and others dedicated to the sustainable use of practices, animal husbandry, etc.) freshwater resources in Micronesia. Funding  Inventory, assess and map the hydrologically permitting, we therefore propose to carry out a significant infrastructure on each island (e.g., comprehensive study of all low island atolls in rainwater catchment systems, storage tanks, Phonpei State (Ahnd, Pakin, Pingelap, shallow wells, etc.) Mwoakilloa, Oroluk, Sapwuahfik, Nukuoro, and  Record island residents' attitudes and other Kapingamarangi) and document the condition of relevant cultural norms, perceptions, and their freshwater resources and related opinions related to freshwater resources. infrastructure, as well as examine the local  Identify and report any critical problems people's relationship with those resources. Such related to freshwater resources. information needs to be made available not only Information outlined above is urgently needed to improve our understanding of the water due to the high rate of development, human situation in the low islands, but also to avoid or modification and population increase in the better respond to fresh water emergencies, Micronesian low islands. We plan to make it agricultural difficulties, food shortages, health available as an on-line series of information- problems and other environmental crises that packed technical reports, supporting databases, may arise due to lack of knowledge, awareness photographic collection, and GIS coverages, so or preparation. Specifically, we intend to use a that it is readily accessible to the FSM and US combined hydrogeologic/engineering/sociologic government bodies, regulatory agencies, utility fieldwork approach to document hydrologically corporations, non-government organizations, relevant natural aspects and infrastructure, as research and academic institutions, and the well as people's usage patterns and perceptions of private sector entities involved in the utilization, freshwater resources on each of Pohnpei's eight monitoring, management, and protection of the low islands. Essentially, the project will comprise freshwater resources of Pohnpei State.

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